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PANDORAHEARTS by Jun Mochizuki

The air of celebration surrounding fifteen-year-old Oz Vessalius’s coming-of-age ceremony quickly turns to horror when he is condemned for a sin about which he knows nothing. He is thrown into an eternal, inescapable prison known as the Abyss from which there is no escape. There, he meets a young girl named Alice, who is not what she seems. Now that the relentless cogs of fate have begun to turn, do they lead only to crushing despair for Oz, or is there some shred of hope for him to grasp on to?

The air of celebration surrounding fifteen-year-old Oz Vessalius’s coming-of-age ceremony quickly turns to horror when he is condemned for a sin about which he knows nothing. He is thrown into an eternal, inescapable prison known as the Abyss from which there is no escape. There, he meets a young girl named Alice, who is not what she seems. Now that the relentless cogs of fate have begun to turn, do they lead only to crushing despair for Oz, or is there some shred of hope for him to grasp on to?

Oz Vessalius may have survived his stint in the Abyss, but he is no closer to discovering the truth behind the “sin” for which he was condemned. On the advice of a mysterious man who appeared to him when Alice regained the first of her memories, Oz, along with Alice and Pandora’s Raven, embarks on a mission to investigate the site of his disastrous coming-of-age ceremony in search of answers. However, what begins as a simple investigation becomes the revelation of a harsher reality, which comes swooping down on Oz as the hands of the clock continue ticking away mercilessly…

Having returned from the infernal Abyss only to find his whold world changed, young “sinner” Oz Vessalius embarks on an attempt at normalcy after being reunited with his best friend and valet, Gilbert, whom he had presumed dead. But during a trip into town with Gil and Alice, an unexpected encounter leads Oz down memory lane…For Oz, however, the path is one covered with the most menacing of thorns. And lying in wait to assail him there…the baleful eye of his father the the echoes of cursed words Oz would much rather forget…

As Oz Vessalius and his valet, Gilbert, are reunited with their dear Uncle Oscar, they fail to notice an alienated Alice lost in thought stumbling right into the lurking Xerxes Break. Before Alice can take heed of Break’s warning of a trap set by the Cheshire Cat — a powerful, extraordinary chain — she and Break are spirited away to Cheshire’s lair, where both danger and fragments of Alice’s past reside. With Sharon’s help, Oz and Gil find a way to enter the sealed dimension of memories, but not only do their allies await them there, so too does the man from Alice’s earlier memory! Does he hold the key to the truth about Oz’s “sin”?

Guided by Jack Vessalius, the man from Alice’s memories, Oz wanders back into the world of lost remembrances in search of Alice. There he stumbles upon the devastating tragedy of Sablier, the century-old disaster that sent the old capital into the Abyss, an incident of which no one has any recollection…except Alice — who was there?! When Oz discovers the truth of the memories Alice so desperately wants to forget, the powers of the B-Rabbit spiral out of control and threaten the lives of all who are trapped within the dreamlike dimension, including Alice herself…

Though Oz’s sudden appearance in the midst of Pandora wreaks havoc, the initially chilly reception to the prison-breaker runs more than warm when Jack Vessalius, hero of the tragedy of Sablier and the man from Alice’s memories, manifests in Oz’s body. Sensing Oz’s resultant inner turmoil, Uncle Oscar drags Oz and company on a “mission” to Lutwidge Academy, where Oz’s little sister, Ada, is a student. But some carefree fun and a tearful reunion ten years in the making is not all for which Oz must prepare himself: crimson-cloaked foes are lying in wait to torture him for answers about the events of a hundred years ago…

The past holds everyone in its thrall, and Oz, Alice, Raven, Break, and their acquaintances are no exception, especially as recollections of the tragedy of Sablier elude even those who were present. Indeed, with his own body playing host to Jack Vessalius, the hero of Sablier, the likelihood of Oz escaping the past seems nigh impossible. But given a renewed lease on life by Elliot Nightray — the legitimate heir to the Nightray dukedom, of all people — Oz is eager to keep moving forward by learning all that he can about the events that came to pass all those years ago. To this end, he and his friends seek an audience with another of the four great dukes — Duke Rufus Barma. But it is not a glimpse into a hundredyear-old disaster that is revealed to them in the Duke’s presence, but rather one into Break’s lamentable, shockingly unforgettable past…

The snow-white maiden encountered once upon a time in the depths of the Abyss by the clown christened the Red-Eyed Specter…who was she really? As there are two sides to every story, could it be there are two sides to the existence known as Alice? Duke Barma may have provided a sordid outline, but Break colors the tale with vivid swathes of bloody crimson as he opens up about his past. Will these tragic truths long secreted away isolate Break further from his allies once he has revealed them?

The incuse on Oz Vessalius’s chest ticks onward, but the young heir to one of the four great dukedoms directs his gaze back, seeking the facts behind a centuries-old tragedy. Intent on examining the ruins of Sablier despite warnings to scare him away, Oz and his makeshift party of explorers wander through the remnants of the former capital in search of clues to shed light upon the consuming darkness of the past. But in the yawning void where the opulent city once stood, will Oz come face-to-face with the truth? Or will he find misery the only resident…?

A century before, in Sablier, a forbidden portal was flung wide by a boy, Vincent, in his single-minded desire to protect his brother, Gilbert. And thus did that foolhardy desire lead to the corruption of that innocent boy’s soul like a sweet poison… Now, as Gil, Oz, and Alice wander the ruins of the former capital, they are assaulted by illusions from the past. But how much of it is real? And how much of it illusion?

PANDORAHEARTS Volume 11
by Jun MochizukiJuly 2012 | ISBN: 978-0-316-19729-8 | $11.99 ($12.99) | 192 pages | 5”x 7.5″ | Older TeenOnce, following the tragedy of Sablier, Jack Vessalius made a valiant sacrifice to stop his best friend, Glen Baskerville, by allowing his body to anchor a set of seals by which Glen’s soul was confined. But now these seals, long guarded by mages under the watchful gaze of Pandora, are being smashed one by one at the hands of the Crimson Shinigami, whose aim is to return their master to his once-whole state. And so, the fragile peace achieved over the last century begins to writhe, like a horror released from Pandora’s forbidden box…

With Pandora and the Baskervilles in a race to discover the whereabouts of the seals that secure Glen Baskerville’s body, Oz and his friends are caught up in the ensuing fury of this ruthless hunt. Amidst this chaos, Oscar Vessalius organizes a brief respite for his beloved nephew and his companions in the form of an outdoor tea party. When Oscar surprises all present with an impromptu group photograph, the memory of their fleeting peace together is captured in time so as to never be forgotten. If only such memories could be made to last forever by the simple act of wishing…

Oz Vessalius makes his high-society debut at the manor of Isla Yura intending to investigate the potential location of one of the stone seals that Pandora seeks. But over the festivities and the secrets that swirl behind the masks of the merrymakers hangs a cloying scent of intrigue. And when the blood-blackened hand of a demon unexpectedly descends on those gathered, a waltz of madness begins… as if heralding anew an all-too-familiar tragedy…

Just when it seems the tragedy of Sablier is on the verge of recurring at Isla Yura’s residence, the sinister blade of the Headhunter swings once more. From the darkness where the mysteries of Fianna’s House and Humpty Dumpty converge, one truth will come to light: an unmoving reality that is itself so shocking, it seems like an illusion…Will Oz and his allies ever recover?

Brother, master, friend…There once was an impure soul who, unknowingly, sealed a contract with Humpty Dumpty in the dark bowels of Sablier. But the time has come for him to face both his true self and his sins. Reexamining the events that have led him to this juncture, he comes to a realization and, choosing to stand by his convictions, decides on a course of action…as though it may yet save him somehow…

Oz. Leo. Inescapable tragedy assaults and binds the two. He is no more. That simple truth tears their hearts apart like castles of sand caving in . . . But will history repeat itself when, in the midst of their sorrow, the two are pitted against each other in a struggle that could end in catastrophe?

The determined feelings of one man cross the divides of time and space, bringing to light the past hidden in the depths of his memories. Thus, reality begins to swirl and shift, as if the desires of his heart have been the darkness gnawing at everything all along . . .

PANDORAHEARTS Volume 18
by Jun MochizukiOctober 2013 | ISBN: 978-0-316-23975-2 | $11.99 ($12.99) | 192 pages | 5”x 7.5″ | Older TeenThe tragedy that befell a bustling city a hundred years earlier. Eyes of ill omen. Stone seals. The warped gears that have continued turning since long ago play out a requiem for one who was much loved. The solemn sound of the dirge colors the world that hears its notes a melancholy gray…as though it was always meant to be…

The truth of the being known as Oz Vessalius is exposed to Pandora, which has been captured by Leo and the Baskervilles. Amidst the warped tragedy that plays out mercilessly, the one who has lost everything catches a glimpse of the ridiculous fairy tale contrived by one man. The forbidden box has just been opened… What will be found within?

The pathetic farce that has unfolded in earnest is no more than an absurd yarn spun by the man who caused the Tragedy of Sablier by following his heart’s desires. The players in his tale begin dancing with abandon, their emotions bottled up inside, as though they are marionettes manipulated by a master puppeteer . . .

“I want you to be ‘happy’…” With these parting words, one man sacrifices himself to save Oz and his companions, who have been chased into a corner. That sentiment succeeds in awakening Oz’s heart, long held captive in the depths of his own soul, as though breaking all the chains that bind him… But when Oz learns of the heavy price of his revival, can his resolve withstand it?

This question is posed to Oz Vessalius once more. After overcoming the chains of infinite despair that bind him, the answer at which he arrives becomes a blinding light, piercing through the jet-black darkness. As though hope can be spun out of the emotions of a person’s heart…

The dark whimsy of Jun Mochizuki’s world comes to vivid life in this art book that features over 120 color and black-and-white illustrations from the New York Times-bestselling PandoraHearts series, as well as her first work, Crimson-Shell, among others. Favorite characters from the series take center stage in elaborate, breathtaking, full-color tableaus that fans of Mochizuki’s work will instantly recognize. Also included in this beautiful hardbound, slipcased book are brand-new, never-before-published pieces, as well as countless rough and colored sketches! Readers of Mochizuki’s series and art lovers alike will not want to miss this sumptuous feast for the eyes!